Dr Kornelius Riemann has worked in the field of water resource evaluation and management for over 30 years. He obtained extensive experience in pollution and remediation studies, risk assessment methodology and quality assurance systems in Germany where he worked primarily in quantifying the hydraulic behaviour of primary aquifers and rock-water-pollutant interactions, as well as the planning and supervision of soil and groundwater remediation.
Born in Hannover, Germany, Kornelius obtained his MSc in Applied Geology from the University of Kiel, Germany. He joined Umvoto in 2002 following completion of his PhD at the University of the Free State. His PhD research in South Africa dealt with new approaches and methods for estimating aquifer parameters in fractured rock, based on fractal analysis of test pumping and tracer-test data.
In the past decade, he has built on his earlier experience with work in groundwater assessment studies, water resource evaluations, planning and design of water supply and remediation, hydrochemistry, hydrogeological interpretation, and contamination investigation. In Umvoto, he is responsible for developing and implementing strategies for adaptive groundwater management, improved resource evaluation, sophisticated monitoring of response to abstraction, water quality and ecological impacts, and modelling for sustainable resource management. He was recently the deputy project manager of a study into the long-term reconciliation of water resources and usage in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape, which was important to the fundamental framework of water resource management and informed municipalities on their needs in this area. He now leads the continuation of this study with support for the implementation of these strategies as well the implementation of the reconciliation strategy for the water supply system to Cape Town. He has led several studies with respect to surface water – groundwater interaction, the determination and implementation of the Groundwater Reserve, and the development of monitoring networks. His current focus is on governance aspects to improve the management of groundwater and surface water resources. Kornelius is also involved with Umvoto’s ISO 9001:2008 certification, heading the company’s Quality Management System. This system ensures that the company’s products and services are maintained at the highest standard. Additions and changes to the system are continually being updated to keep up with the company’s advances and expansion. Kornelius was the chairman of the South African Geological Society’s Ground Water Division (GWD) in the Western Cape between 2011 and 2015 and was also a member of the Executive Committee of the GWD during the same period. Since 2009 he was regularly a member of the conference organising committee for the GWD biennial conferences. Kornelius continues to be involved with capacity building and research and regularly supervises and examines postgraduate dissertations at all levels from different universities. He is also a reviewer for scientific journals, like Hydrogeology Journal and Water SA, as well as one of the guest editors of the Water SA Special Edition, a recent International Association of Hydrogeologists (IAH) Book and the South African Journal of Geology Special Edition.
